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Africa's most populous nation advanced to the second round in its maiden World Cup finals appearance in 1994 and again four years later in France, and will be fancied to finish among the top two in Group F where it meets former world champions Argentina, debutants Bosnia and Iran.

But the burden of expectation has often tripped up the Super Eagles, who represent a country with passionate, demanding and fickle fans who easily turn on their team when results are not achieved.

Nigeria: World Cup facts

As in the United States in 1994, Nigeria arrives at the World Cup as African champions but its current side has none of the charisma and strong personalities of two decades ago when the team was captained by Stephen Keshi, who is now the coach, and featured established players like Austin Okocha, Sunday Oliseh and Rashidi Yekini.

That team came very close to a famous victory too - leading Italy with minutes to go in the second round in Boston before losing in extra time.

Group F

Keshi's current squad has no international stars - their two most influential players come from the Premier League but neither John Obi Mikel of Chelsea nor Liverpool's Victor Moses currently hold down regular places at their club sides.

Yet Nigeria won the African Nations Cup last year, after a stuttering start and winning with a swagger despite holding out little hope before the tournament started.

It eliminated hot favourite Ivory Coast in the quarter-finals in a display of tough tournament temperament it will need in Brazil.

But six months later at last year's Confederation Cup in Brazil, it was outclassed in defeats to Uruguay and world champions Spain, patently inferior to its South American and European opponents.

Much of Nigeria's game is based on pacey attack, with a lot of emphasis on wide play, but main finisher Emmanuel Emenike is often guilty of missing a myriad of chances and in defence there is an air of vulnerability.

Prediction:

The Super Eagles have an enigmatic air about them with the potential to advance well into the knockout rounds, but they remain largely untested and relatively inexperienced. They remain a wildcard in Group F.

Star player: John Obi Mikel

John Obi Mikel is a Jekyll and Hyde player who often looks a totally different performer in the green of Nigeria than he does in Chelsea blue.

The 27-year-old occupies the deep-lying holding role for his club and barely ventures beyond the halfway line in the Premier League.

However, when he is on international duty he plays with a freedom and swagger that belies his status as a defensive rock at Chelsea.

Mikel was runner-up behind midfielder Yaya Toure of Ivory Coast and Manchester City in the African Footballer of the Year Award for 2013, after helping his country win last year's Nations Cup in South Africa.

The strong, robust midfielder seems to shed his inhibitions when playing for his country, strutting around like the linchpin of the team's attacking moves and popping up in the opposition penalty area to get the occasional goal.

Goals have never been his forte at Chelsea though as four strikes in more than 300 appearances testify. His first league goal - in a 2-0 win over Fulham earlier this season - came in his 185th Chelsea league match.

Coach: Stephen Keshi

Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi finally returns to the World Cup after 20 years, hoping for a major improvement on his previous experiences with world football's showpiece tournament.

Keshi, whose nickname is "Big Boss", was the captain of Nigeria for their maiden World Cup appearance in the United States in 1994 but fell out with Dutch coach Clemens Westerhof and played only one of their four games.

He was a bitter and forlorn figure as Nigeria won a second round place but then narrowly lost to Italy.

It marked the end of his international playing career but he quickly took up coaching reins as an assistant with the Nigerian side thereafter.

Today though, things are looking up. He has manoeuvred around the fierce political infighting that often stymies the Nigeria FA and heads to Brazil with his team wearing the crown of African champions with a realistic chance of making it through a first round group involving Argentina, Iran and debutants Bosnia.

After Nigeria won the African title last year, Keshi told reporters: "I hope the big European clubs take note of this, that an African coach can be successful. I hope too that one day they give an African coach the chance to prove what he can do in Europe too."